Stand to Reason Weekly Podcast

Should We Refuse to Put Pronouns in Our Email Signatures?

Greg talks to callers about putting pronouns in an email signature, forgiving someone who doesn’t want to be forgiven, a Christian’s role in politics, expressing complex ideas to people with short attention spans, and the role of apologetics in evangelism from a Reformed perspective.

 

Topics:

1. As a state employee, when the time comes when I'm asked to put my preferred pronouns in my email signature, is this something I should make a stand against? (03:00)
2. Can one forgive another person who doesn’t want to be forgiven? (19:00)
3. What should a Christian’s role in politics be? (27:00)
4. How can we express complex ideas to young people whose short attention spans make it so hard to connect in a meaningful way? (36:00)
5. Congratulations on 28 years—you had a huge influence on my life. (47:00)
6. What is the role of philosophy and apologetics when you’re evangelizing from a Reformed perspective? (51:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• Reality Student Apologetics Conference – September 24–25 in Orange County, CA; October 15–16 in Seattle, WA; November 12–13 in Minneapolis, MN; February 25–26, 2022 in Dallas, TX; April 22–23, 2022 in Augusta, GA
• Freedom Fading by Greg Koukl
• Alliance Defending Freedom
• Red Pen Logic YouTube channel

Just Keep Showing Up

Greg talks about accomplishing things by being faithful, then he answers questions about what Christians should expect to experience in terms of communication with God and how to respond to a gay brother-in-law and his partner in a variety of situations.

 

Topics:

1. Commentary: Just keep showing up. (00:00)
2. As a new convert, I have questions about what I should experience in terms of communication with God. (28:00)
3. Questions about how to respond to my gay brother-in-law and his partner in a variety of situations. (49:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• Reality Student Apologetics Conference – September 24–25 in Orange County, CA; October 15–16 in Seattle, WA; November 12–13 in Minneapolis, MN; February 25–26, 2022 in Dallas, TX; April 22–23, 2022 in Augusta, GA
• Greg Koukl on Twitter
• Stand to Reason YouTube channel

Related Links:

• Does God Whisper? Part 1, Part 2, Part 3
• Help Your Child Think Clearly and Graciously about Homosexuality by Amy Hall

Keep the Culture from Changing You

Greg talks about how you may not be able to change the culture, but you can keep the culture from changing you, then he answers questions about role-playing games, an employer prohibiting talk about religion, calling out false teachers without reviling, and more.  

 

Topics:

1. Commentary: Keep the culture from changing you. (00:00)
2. What are your thoughts on Christians playing role-playing games (particularly, Dungeons & Dragons)? (24:00)
3. How can I tell when I’ve moved from making an argument informed by the Christian worldview to merely arguing for a political preference? (31:00)
4. If, as a cosmetologist, the salon I work for doesn’t want us to talk about religion or politics, is that an infringement of my freedom of speech? (41:00)
5. How can I call out false teachers in love without reviling? (48:00)
6. What’s your biblical advice on raising a family in California versus moving? (52:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• Reality Student Apologetics Conference – September 24–25 in Orange County, CA; October 15–16 in Seattle, WA; November 12–13 in Minneapolis, MN; February 25–26, 2022 in Dallas, TX; April 22–23, 2022 in Augusta, GA

Related Links:

• Morally Velocitized by Greg Koukl
• Faithfulness Is Not Theologically Complicated by Greg Koukl

Everyone Starts at the Beginning

Greg reflects on Stand to Reason’s anniversary and encourages people not to fear beginning new things, then he answers questions about the wisdom of Christians entering certain professions and aspects of an atheistic worldview.

 

Topics:

1. Commentary: Everyone starts at the beginning. (00:00)
2. Is it unwise for a Christian to go into a profession where they will likely be asked to compromise their Christianity? (30:00)
3. I’m teaching some people on comparative worldviews and have some questions about atheism. (46:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• Donate to Stand to Reason
• Live Not by Lies by Rod Dreher
• The Universe Next Door: A Basic Worldview Catalog by James Sire
• The Humanist Manifesto

Three Common Informal Fallacies

Greg talks about how to recognize and disarm three informal fallacies, then he answers questions about cessationism, praying for someone’s salvation, whether killing one's kidnapper would be considered murder, and the role of Christians in America.

 

Topics:

1. Commentary: Three common informal fallacies (00:00)
2. What do you think about cessationism? (26:00)
3. Is there a precedent in the New Testament for praying for someone’s salvation? (35:00)
4. If you killed your kidnapper, would that be considered murder? (41:00)
5. What should a Christian’s role be in America? (49:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• Reality Student Apologetics Conference – September 24–25 in Orange County, CA; October 15–16 in Seattle, WA; November 12–13 in Minneapolis, MN; February 25–26, 2022 in Dallas, TX; April 22–23, 2022 in Augusta, GA
• The Ransom of Red Chief by O. Henry

The Paradox of Tolerance

Greg responds to a question about not tolerating intolerance, then he talks to a caller about the difference between Martin Luther King’s views and BLM and responds to a challenge to his opening commentary.

 

Topics:

1. Commentary: The paradox of intolerance (00:00)
2. How would I describe the difference between what Martin Luther King did for civil rights and what Black Lives Matter is doing? (30:00)
3. Is the Left really as intolerant as you describe? (47:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• Progressive Christian Gets Jesus Completely Wrong – Red Pen Logic video
• #STRask podcast with Greg and Amy (archives here)

Related Links:

• The Miseducation of America’s Elites by Bari Weiss (on the intolerance occuring in education)
• I Refuse to Stand By While My Students Are Indoctrinated by Paul Rossi

Everything Is Political Now

Greg talks about the need for us to engage the ideas of our culture that are relevant to Christianity, even when those ideas have been declared political, then he answers questions about demons, character development, the progressive church, and interacting with people in a post-truth society.

 

Topics:

1. Commentary: Everything is political now. (00:00)
2. Can an angel kill another angel, and what’s the difference between the angels that work with Satan and demons? (21:00)
3. Do you think the development of personal virtue and character is missing in Christianity these days? (33:00)
4. What's the proper method for challenging the progressive church? (45:00)
5. What’s a good strategy for dealing with people in a post-truth society? (53:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• STR U Online Training
• Reality Student Apologetics Conference – September 24–25 in Orange County, CA; October 15–16 in Seattle, WA; November 12–13 in Minneapolis, MN; February 25–26, 2022 in Dallas, TX; April 22–23, 2022 in Augusta, GA
• Another Gospel?: A Lifelong Christian Seeks Truth in Response to Progressive Christianity by Alisa Childers
• Faithfulness Is Not Theologically Complicated by Greg Koukl

Related Links:

• Not a Hint of Politics by Greg Koukl

Define What You Mean by “Hate” and “Hater”

Greg and Tim talk about some negative reactions they’ve received (and seen others receive) and give some thoughts on how to respond.

 

Topics:

1. Commentary: Define what you mean by “hate” and “hater.” (00:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• Subscribe to Stand to Reason’s monthly training material
• Martyn Iles of the Australian Christian Lobby
• The clip from the Martyn Iles video discussed by Greg and Tim (You might need a Facebook account to view the clip. The full video can be viewed here, with the clip in question beginning at 27:16.)
• Iron Curtain Diary by Greg Koukl
• The Primal Heresy by Greg Koukl
• Faithfulness Is Not Theologically Complicated by Greg Koukl
• Jordan Peterson Channel 4 interview

Signs of Legislation to Come

Greg talks about a bill that was proposed and then, thankfully, modified in California, then he answers questions about whether your lifestyle can disqualify you as a Christian, whether justification by faith alone is an essential doctrine, and how to respond to claims about the percentage of intersex people.

 

Topics:

1. Commentary: Signs of legislation to come (00:00)
2. If you have the core Christian beliefs and your lifestyle doesn’t match that, then are you still a Christian? (22:00)
3. Do you think justification by faith alone is an essential doctrine? (41:00)
4. How do I respond to claims about the percentage of intersex people? (48:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• Upcoming events with Stand to Reason speakers
• Iron Curtain Diary by Greg Koukl
• The Primal Heresy by Greg Koukl
• #STRask podcast with Greg and Amy (archives here)
• Subscribe to Stand to Reason’s monthly training material
• Become a Strategic Partner
• Do Not Nod Your Head to Lies by Amy Hall

Related Links:

• Intersex People Don’t Prove There Are More Than Two Sexes by Amy Hall

Some Hills Are Worth Dying On

Greg talks about the issue of using people’s preferred pronouns, then he answers questions about resources for understanding the Bible and being judgmental of people’s entertainment choices.

 

Topics:

1. Commentary: Some hills are worth dying on. (00:00)
2. What Bible version, commentaries, or other resources do you recommend for going deeper into the Bible? (34:00)
3. How can I not be judgmental of others’ entertainment choices? (47:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• #STRask podcast with Greg and Amy (archives here)
• Reality Student Apologetics Conference – September 24–25 in Orange County, CA; October 15–16 in Seattle, WA; November 12–13 in Minneapolis, MN; February 25–26, 2022 in Dallas, TX; April 22–23, 2022 in Augusta, GA
• STR U Online Training

Related Links:

• Do Not Nod Your Head to Lies by Amy Hall